Chapter 475: Breaking Out from the Cocoon

Chapter 475: Breaking Out from the Cocoon

The accommodations at the Imperial Supervisory Bureau were not great.

It was just a small, seldom-used guest room in the courtyard, with bedding that carried a faint scent of dust.

Still, it was better than a prison cell.

By the time Chu Liang returned, it was late at night, and he was very exhausted.

He had always believed in making the best use of both people and resources, ensuring that no one on Silver Sword Peak remained idle.

But he hadn’t expected the Imperial Supervisory Bureau to take this principle to a whole new level.

The Imperial Supervisory Commissioner had dragged Chu Liang along to review bizarre cases reported from different provinces, tasking him with analyzing each one, identifying the key issues, and determining the best course of action.

At first, it seemed like the commissioner was trying to mentor him, guiding Chu Liang’s thought process. But after half a day, when the commissioner realized how quickly Chu Liang was picking things up, the old man started slacking off.

He left everything for Chu Liang to analyze. He asked Chu Liang to propose solutions and would only step in at the end to approve the final decisions.

This made things easier for the commissioner, but Chu Liang’s stress kept building. These were important matters for the nine provinces, and he knew he had to be careful. After all, this likely concerned the lives of many others.

The more carefully Chu Liang handled things, the more satisfied the commissioner seemed. By the end of the day, Chu Liang had been used as free labor, completely worked to the bone by the old man.

However, it wasn’t without its benefits. Chu Liang realized that strange and evil events were constantly happening across the land of the nine provinces. Even in what seemed like peaceful times, these cases were as common as cow hair.

The Imperial Supervisory Bureau and the City Supervisory Division formed the first line of defense, while the sects in the Divine Nine and Terrestrial Ten made up the second, working together to maintain the current peace.

The demonic creatures and evil entities had never stopped in their desire to bring chaos and destruction to the world.

According to the commissioner, things had never been this chaotic before. Ever since rumors of the Demon God’s return started to spread, demons and villains across the land of the nine provinces had grown more active, plunging the Yu Dynasty into turmoil unlike anything seen in hundreds of years, leaving the bureau overwhelmed.

Chu Liang realized that the demonic race’s divine envoys hadn’t spread these rumors without a purpose. There had to be a larger, more sinister plan behind it all.

Even before the rumors of the Demon God’s return, the chaos within the Yu Dynasty had already started to unfold.

Just as this thought crossed his mind, Chu Liang felt a sudden, strange movement within the White Pagoda.

He focused his divine sense inward and saw the golden cocoon, formed earlier by the little golden butterfly, beginning to crack. Thin beams of golden light seeped through the cracks, and the cocoon trembled, as though something inside was fighting to break free.

It seemed that breaking out of the cocoon this time was much more difficult than before.

As Chu Liang pondered this, he suddenly heard a series of cracking sounds, and then a small hole appeared in the cocoon.

As expected. It's easier to use teeth, Chu Liang thought.

Moments later, a tiny head poked through the hole in the cocoon, its two bright black eyes locking onto Chu Liang’s.

Chu Liang blinked.

She blinked back.

"Huh?" Chu Liang's brows furrowed slightly.

...

The moonlight bathed Butterfly Fairy Valley, wrapping the entire place in a tranquil silence.

Every creature that called Myriad Poison Mountain home carried some form of poison or venom. The further one ventured into the heart of the mountain, the more potent and lethal the toxins became. In such a place, a being without poison wouldn’t last a day.

Yet, there was one exception: the butterflies in Butterfly Fairy Valley.

They were non-toxic and harmless, yet had somehow managed to thrive for ages within the deadly environment of Myriad Poison Mountain.

The butterflies in the valley, though non-toxic, thrived in the presence of countless poisonous plants. Over time, as they pollinated these dangerous plants, they absorbed the toxins little by little, eventually building a strong resistance that allowed them to live in this valley for a very long time.

Unlike the other areas with vicious and bloodthirsty creatures, Butterfly Fairy Valley was a rather peaceful place.

When Jiang Yuebai arrived, she immediately caused quite a buzz.

Some butterflies immediately sensed the outsider's presence and fluttered into the air in a flurry.

Meanwhile, certain sentient plants became wary, swaying nervously even though there was no wind.

Jiang Yuebai quickly released her qi in the air.

With the constitution of a Transcendent Spirit, she shared an exceptional bond with the things in the world around her. Greedy demonic beasts perceived her blood and qi as a valuable spirit herb, while gentle spirit beasts would take an instant liking to her.

Such was the wondrous nature of the Transcendent Spirit constitution.

As her aura spread, the spiritual qi in the surrounding area grew incredibly vibrant. The plants and spirit herbs thrived, stretching upward, while large swarms of white butterflies fluttered around her, swirling in a joyful dance.

Her robes were like the bright moon, and the butterflies danced like falling snow, making the valley resemble a paradise on earth. And she, of course, was the sole fairy in this scene.

As Jiang Yuebai approached the heart of the valley, beneath a towering ancient vine tree, a beautiful woman clad in a gauzy white gown descended. The large, white wings on her back revealed her true identity.

"Are you the leader here?" Jiang Yuebai asked.

"I am the largest butterfly demon in Butterfly Fairy Valley," the woman said softly as she gazed at Jiang Yuebai. "Beautiful cultivator, is there something I can help you with?"

"I’m looking for a butterfly," Jiang Yuebai replied. "It’s gained some sentience and can speak. There shouldn’t be many like it here."

As she spoke, she took out a painting.

It was a painting of the butterfly, drawn by Chu Liang from memory.

But the butterfly demon glanced at the painting in Jiang Yuebai’s hand and immediately shook her head. "Beautiful cultivator, this butterfly is not from here."

"Hmm?" Jiang Yuebai frowned slightly.

"We, the butterflies of Butterfly Fairy Valley, are all white. When exposed to a poison we cannot neutralize, black spots appear on our wings—that's how we know a member of our clan need healing," the butterfly demon explained. "But the one you're searching for..."

She examined the painting once more and then said, "It appears to be a butterfly from the East Sea."

1. 吞吞 (吞 pronounced Tun) means gulp or devourer ☜